


The Land Under the Mountain

by YoungestThunderbird



Series: Arcadia [9]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Family Dynamics, Fluff, Found Family, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Tags Are Hard, Trope Fic, deaging, warning: Kamino
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2020-11-02
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:20:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27157861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YoungestThunderbird/pseuds/YoungestThunderbird
Summary: The Dantooine Enclave has many secrets. Obi-wan and Anakin, in typical Kenobi-Skywalker fashion, have discovered one.Alpha would really like to know why this always happens to them. So does Obi-wan.
Relationships: Alpha-17 & Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano, CC-2224 | Cody & Obi-Wan Kenobi, CT-7567 | Rex & Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Zatt
Series: Arcadia [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1939405
Comments: 33
Kudos: 440





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Seeing as I’ve managed to get everyone to adopt each other, I am now making a foray into cheap sci-fi plot fillers!  
> Thank you for your lovely reviews on earlier installments of this series; it really brightens up my day. I love your feedback.

Karking artifact rooms of karking ancient Temples, reflected Alpha-17 sourly. Skywalker and Kenobi had wandered into one to do inventory three hours ago and had lost contact, so now he, Cody, Rex, Tano, and the kid were looking for them.

Luckily, Zatt didn’t seem worried. He smiled up at Alpha from where he was walking next to him and holding his hand.

“It’s okay, Alpha! Master Obi-wan isn’t hurt, he’s just a little confused!” The kid chirped at him.

Useful things, Force bonds. Alpha wondered if it was possible for Clones to form one; constantly having tabs on Kenobi and Skywalker, troublemaking duo that they were, wasn’t a bad thing.

Especially since they rounded a corner and came face-to-face with something impossible. Someone impossible. Two someones, really.

It was a good thing that Alpha paid attention when Kenobi and Skywalker were in reminiscing moods, or else he may not have recognized the two standing there at all. As it was, it took a moment.

Standing in front of him was Jedi Knight Obi-wan Kenobi, approximately age twenty-one, and partially behind him, hidden in the shadows, was Junior Jedi Padawan Anakin Skywalker, age ten.

Alpha blinked. The scene in front of him did not change. He hoisted Zatt up by the handy recessed grip at the base of his neck (the slang for it was scruff-bar, and it came standard in most armor made for under-fifteen-year-olds) and looked the small Padawan in the eye.

“Is this a prank?” He asked carefully.

Zatt shook his head no.

“You see them too, right?” He asked again.

Zatt nodded this time, and giggled.

Alpha switched the little troublemaker to a piggyback carry, where he’d be between Zatt the any unknowns, and turned to the thoroughly confused Knight.

He raised his hand to forestall any introduction.

“Jedi Knight Kenobi, right?” He held out his hand for a shake. Kenobi took it.

“I don’t suppose you recognize me or the kid, do you?” He asked hopefully. Kenobi shook his head. Well, there went that idea.

“I’m Alpha-17, and the kid is Zatt. You’ve managed to end up in the Abandoned Jedi Enclave at Dantooine,” he told them.

Kenobi’s eyebrow went up.

“No, I’m not sure what happened either,” Alpha said absently, and took out his wrist-comm.

“I’ve found Knight Kenobi and Padawan Skywalker,” he told the channel they were using to coordinate the little hunt. Silence answered him.

“You mean Mas-“ came Tano’s reply, after a moment.

“Nope, I said what I meant and I meant what I said,” Alpha cut her off. He was trying to prevent Kenobi from being alarmed further, at least until he had other Jedi on the scene to explain things to him. This was Weird Force Kark, and so far out of Alpha’s expertise that it was not even close to funny.

They arranged a rendezvous once they got outside, so Alpha beckoned to Kenobi and Skywalker to follow him, which they did with minimal complaint. He slung Zatt of his back, and had the kid walk beside him, to try and put Kenobi a little more at ease. It worked, a little.

Kenobi looked at him and finally began to speak.

“While I appreciate you leading myself and my young apprentice to the exterior of the complex, I must admit that you seem to know me better than I know you. You knew both my name, and you can interpret my expressions better than my late Master. Who exactly are you?” He asked. Kark, he sounded like a Jedi shiny.

“I’m Alpha-17,” he tried to explain, in the face of Kenobi’s polite insistence. Kenobi raised an eyebrow at him. Alpha sighed.

“I’m your brother,” he told them, “And we really need to meet up with the others now.”

...

Rex wasn’t sure what he was expecting after Alpha’s cryptic message over the comms. He could safely say that he was not expecting what he got.

He blinked at the tiny blond kid in front of him. The kid blinked back.

“Who’re you?” The kid asked. Anakin asked. That was his Jedi, there, the size of a Cadet.

Oh, Kark. Why was it always them?

“I’m Rex,” he replied, “I’m your brother.”

He wasn’t expecting the kid’s eyes to light up.

“We adopted each other?” Anakin asked, so hopefully that Rex had to smile.

“Yeah, we did. A couple years ago now,” he replied.

It was true. Unlike what Anakin had apparently done for Obi-wan, he’d taken Rex aside and explained his intentions before they performed the little ceremony. Rex had returned the favor; he’d modified the Mandalorian adoption vow, and they’d spoken it to each other before they split the food.

Ni kyr'tayl gai sa'vod (1), he’d promised, and he meant it.

“Are you Obi-wan’s brother too?” Anakin asked. Rex smiled.

“Yes, but I spend more time with you, trying to keep you out of trouble,” he half-joked.

“How come I don’t remember you?” Anakin asked.

That was a question for Ahsoka, who had not yet arrived. Rex improvised.

“I’m not quite sure. I’m not a Jedi, and something weird in the Force just happened, but I can’t explain how or why,” he attempted. It was totally true, he made sure.

Anakin had mentioned early on that he could sense lies fairly easily, in the Force, and Rex knew he didn’t trust liars.

Cody rounded the corner and stopped like he’d hit a wall, wide-eyed upon seeing Kenobi. Ahsoka, who was right behind him, bumped into him. He didn’t react at all.

“Long story short. This is Knight Kenobi and Padawan Skywalker, they don’t know who we are, and last they remember, they were in the Jedi Temple,” Alpha gave them a briefing.

“I’m going to need an explanation, Alpha-17,” Obi-wan said confusedly, “You people keep saying we’re related. I never knew my family, and Anakin is an only child.”

Ahsoka sighed, evidently having gathered her thoughts, and stepped forward. Rex wished her strength.

“I’m the ranking Jedi who knows what’s going on, apparently. Ahsoka Tano, at your service,” she bowed to Obi-wan, and then sighed.

“The first thing you need to know is that it is currently 7958 CRC, the fourth day of the tenth month, and it’s Centaxday,” she said.

Obi-wan just blinked.

“It’s 7946,” he said, “It can’t be 7958, Anakin is certainly not 22.”

He gave a skeptical look to the kid next to him.

“I’m not 22, Master,” Anakin said loyally.

Rex couldn’t hold in a snicker. Even at this age, they were starting their banter.

“Knight Kenobi was promoted to the rank of Council Master some three years ago, and Padawan Skywalker was Knighted a little before that. Knight Skywalker achieved the rank of Provisional Council Master six months ago upon working with Master Windu to defeat the Sith Master. They were assigned to catalogue a room of potentially valuable artifacts that had been found in the Dantooine Temple. They walked into that room three hours ago; you walked out,” Ahsoka attempted to explain.

Tiny Anakin’s eyes were the size of dinner plates. It was adorable. Knight Kenobi was doing a slightly better job regulating his expression, but only slightly.

“There must be a mistake,” he murmured near-unconsciously, “I’m not nearly good enough to be on the Council.”

Cody and Alpha both gave the man a narrow eyed look. However, Zatt beat them to any action they might take.

“You don’t say that! You’re the best!” He burst out, from beside Alpha.

Knight Kenobi blinked at him.

“I... am grateful for your opinion, but I’m afraid I don’t know how you would know that,” he said, still somewhat faintly.

“I am Knight Shywalker’s apprentice; Zatt is Master Kenobi’s apprentice,” Ahsoka said, indicating Zatt as she spoke. Rex put his hand on her shoulder in solidarity.

“I have a Padawan?” Tiny Anakin spoke in wonder. His hand snaked up almost unconsciously to hold Knight Kenobi’s. Kenobi gave them a wary look but did not shake him off.

“Yeah, Skyguy, I’m Snips,” she offered, hoping the glimmer of the relationship they shared would make him happy. His face lit up like the sun.

“Oh,” Kenobi said quietly, “I hope we’ve met before, Padawan Tano?”

“Of course,” Zatt said, holding Alpha’s hand, “We see each other all the time.”

“Good,” Kenobi smiled, “That’s good.”

Rex remembered that the first time Skywalker met Dooku, the man cut his hand off. Their lineage had left them alone, when they were young.

Kenobi was probably glad he hadn’t done the same to his own Grandpadawan.

...

Ahsoka sighed. She knew her Master and Grandmaster’s apprenticeships had been... unusual. And she was glad that they had her, and Zatt, and everyone else now. It was just... staring into a mirror of the past, knowing that she couldn’t help her family when they were young and hurt, it was hard.

The best she could do, was to help the Obi-wan and the Tiny Skyguy in front of her. So, she stepped forward and gave them both a hug.

She’d done something wrong, though, because Obi-wan stiffened, and even pushed her away.

“Attachment, Padawan,” he chided gently, though his voice was just the tiniest bit off. It would only have been noticeable to those who knew Obi-wan very well, so naturally everyone there caught it. It sounded like longing.

Anakin stayed stubbornly next to him, still holding his Master’s hand, also with longing in his eyes.

“The attachment policy has... changed, a bit,” Ahsoka mentioned hesitantly. She needed to give him a hug. She needed to give them all a hug.

“Why not? Everything else has, apparently. How has it changed?” Obi-wan sighed.

“Jedi are allowed to have families,” Cody answered quietly, holding Zatt’s hand, the one not occupied by Alpha.

“That’s why we’re here,” Alpha picked up, “We’re your brothers. We fought a war together, and adopted each other.”

Obi-wan was still looking at them in polite confusion and terror. Ahsoka sighed. Years of no-attachment dogma wouldn’t be discarded on the say-so of two unknown Padawans and three strangers.

“We need reinforcements,” she muttered.

“I’ll call Wolffe,” Cody replied.

“I’ll call Fox,” Rex sighed.

“That leaves me on keep-the-Jedi-out-of-trouble duty, doesn’t it,” Alpha moaned dramatically. Obi-wan began to look less confused and more offended.

“I am a fully grown Jedi Knight! I don’t need to be babysat!” He snapped.

“Not babysat, no, need someone to watch your back? Yes,” Cody deadpanned at him.

“I have been sent on solo missions before, and I’m obviously still alive,” Obi-wan drawled. Ahsoka hadn’t known it was possible to drawl in a Coruscanti accent. You learn something new every day...

“Not for lack of trying on our enemies’ parts,” Rex mutters. He put his comm down.

“Vos is on his way,” he said.

Obi-wan’s expression shifted to alarm.

“Quinlan’s coming?” He asked, “Anakin, can you tell me the rules for visiting with Knight Vos?

“Do nothing he says, do nothing he does, and whenever he gets that one look on his face, run,” Tiny Skyguy dutifully recited.

Ahsoka couldn’t help a snicker. She’d had those same rules as a Junior Padawan.

“I’m wounded, Obes!” Came a jovial voice from behind him. Obi-wan closed his eyes, looking pained.

“Obi-WAN, Quinlan, it’s Obi-WAN,” he said, in the tone of a man who knew his every effort was futile.

“And I call you Obes. Obes Kenobes and Commander Codes,” Master Vos said unrepentantly, rounding the bend. Cody facepalmed.

“I’ve never been so glad to be named Seventeen,” Alpha muttered, “At least it doesn’t rhyme.”

Master Vos stopped suddenly, eyeing Obi-wan up and down.

“Wow, Obes, I haven’t seen your baby face in ages! And I haven’t seen you look that pained since I taught Anakin to pick locks,” he mused.

Obi-wan suddenly looked very alarmed again. Tiny Skyguy, she was just going to call him Tinyguy, looked excited.

“I left Anakin alone with you?” Obi-wan asked in true horror.

Rex started to laugh. Master Vos just looked offended.

“I’ll have you know I raised a Padawan to adulthood with minimal mental scarring on either of our parts!” He huffed.

Obi-wan’s horror had taken an amused edge.

“They let you have a child?!” He said, mock shocked. Tinyguy giggled.

It was a good idea to call Vos. She could see both her Masters relaxing, faced with a familiar, loved, and annoying figure.

“Yes. Her name is Aayla, and she’s the best Knight of her generation. She far outstrips your haystack of a Padawan,” Vos nodded seriously. Tinyguy took visible offense. He was so cute!

“Hey!” He objected.

“There are good qualities to haystacks!” Vos defended.

Rex and Cody had long since collapsed in chuckles. Only Alpha was standing upright, though he had a small smile.

“I think you’d better quit while you’re ahead, Quin,” Obi-wan said dryly.

“I’m twelve years ahead, Obes,” Vos grinned.

“I’m still not sure it’s not a prank,” Obi-wan said, “You’re not the most reliable of witnesses.”

“You convinced me that Master Nu turned Padawans who didn’t return their books on time into statues!” Anakin added accusingly.

Alpha snorted. Zatt’s eyes widened.

“She doesn’t?” The Nautolan asked cautiously.

“No, she doesn’t,” Ahsoka sighed, mentally groaning, “He tried to feed me that when I first became Skyguy’s Padawan too.”

“Aayla believed it for a solid two years,” Vos nodded.

“That poor woman,” Cody muttered, “You scrambled her brain so much she fell in love with Bly of all people.”

Rude, Ahsoka thought.

“What’s wrong with Bly?” Rex defended his friend.

“He has sparkly gold tattoos on his cheeks. Not a symbol, not a declaration, not even karking camouflage... No, he just wanted the because they were sparkly!” Cody ranted.

“Aayla seems to like them,” Rex countered.

“Evidence that Vos scrambled her brain!” Cody shot back.

“Children, please,” a familiar rumbling voice cut in, “While it is indeed a common and quite amusing pastime to disparage your family’s sense of style, the situation is slightly more serious than that.”

“Master Plo!” Ahsoka hugged the man, then hugged Comet, Sinker, Boost, and Katooni behind him.

She turned to Obi-wan and Tinyguy, only to see them jerking apart with something that looked like alarm in their faces.

Oh. Oh no. Why were they scared of Master Plo?

...

Cody caught how Kenobi and Skywalker all but scrambled apart when they noticed Master Koon’s arrival. That was concerning. Koon was one of the least threatening Masters there was, and one of the closest to both Kenobi and Skywalker, as well as being much more serious than Vos.

“Knight Kenobi, Padawan Skywalker, it’s lovely to see you today,” Koon greeted serenely, mirrored by Katooni behind him. The Wolfpack just looked weirded out.

“Master Koon,” Kenobi bowed, Skywalker carefully copying him.

“Knight Kenobi, I’m afraid that what you have been told is true. It is indeed 7958 CRC, and the attachment rules have changed,” Koon explained gently.

“How?” Kenobi asked. And Cody couldn’t really bear that careful caution, how their brothers were so careful about affection.

“Jedi are allowed to have families, and demonstrate affection as is natural to them. They simply have to prove that they are able to balance their family and their duty, not neglecting one for the other. These are my sons, Comet, Sinker, and Boost, and my daughter Katooni,” Koon replied.

Kenobi exchanged a glance with Skywalker, and slowly, testingly, reached out and took the boy’s hand again, then turned to watch Koon’s reaction. Koon simply smiled, with a sad air to the gesture.

“I wish this decision had been reached long before your time, young Kenobi,” he murmured.

“I thank you for your wisdom, Master,” Kenobi replied, more or less by rote. Koon gave another bow in acknowledgment, then took his leave gracefully. Kenobi relaxed more when he left.

Cody really needed to figure out why Kenobi apparently was nervous around one of his closest friends at this age.

“It’ll be alright, Obes,” Vos said, eyes soft. He patted the rather lost-looking Kenobi on the shoulder, and then looked around.

“I need to figure out what went wrong, and how to reverse it. Can you guys hang out for a while? I hope to be done by the end of the day,” he shrugged.

The Jedi nodded. The Clones saluted. Vos sauntered vaguely off in the direction of the much-cursed artifacts room, leaving them to peer awkwardly at each other.

“You’re our family,” Kenobi said cautiously.

“Yes,” Cody replied, still holding Zatt. He hoped the kid was doing okay; his parent didn’t remember him right now, that’d be hard on anyone.

“What are my duties as a member of the family?” Kenobi asked.

“Well, you train Zatt, and you and Cody work together to lead your legion,” Alpha said, “You and I keep an eye on this little imp,” He raised Zatt’s hand, “And I’m still trying to get you to some proficiency with a blaster. You follow Skywalker and try to keep him out of trouble-“

“Hey!” Piped up the blond kid that Cody still couldn’t believe was Skywalker.

“And spend some time with Rex while doing it. You mentor Ahsoka,” Alpha finished.

“I’m head of the family?” Kenobi looked faint.

“No, not really, but you’re up there,” Cody said. They had started walking toward the entrance to the underground complex they had been in while they talked.

Skywalker had been edging closer and closer to Kenobi ever since Koon left. He was clutching the man’s robe, now, pasted to the back of his leg. Alpha must also have noticed, because he picked Zatt up and swung him into a piggyback without looking at the two displaced Jedi once.

Skywalker tugged on Kenobi’s robe more insistently. Kenobi gave an uncertain look at Alpha and Zatt, then looked down at his kid. Skywalker tugged on the robe one more time, before Kenobi sighed and picked him up as well, settling the same piggyback carry.

The kid beamed. His eyes got very wide at the next second though, when they stepped into the light and got a glimpse of Habitat Fleet, a hundred cruisers perched on the waving grasses like monoliths rising from an ancient sea.

“Wow,” Skywalker said. Kenobi merely widened his eyes but said nothing.

They walked past classes of Cadets and Initiates alike. Many Initiate classes had lightsaber practice outside for lack of space, and Cadets had marksmanship practice and hand-to-hand outside as well. Of course, there were always small children sitting at the edge of classes and spectating; wide-eyed Jedi Younglings and Clone Littles watching their older siblings learn the basics of their trade.

It was adorable. And it kept them out of trouble, so it was also invaluable.

Kenobi snuck looks at the classes that they passed.

“Many of the small Human boys look identical,” he noted.

“We’re Clones,” Rex sighed, holding Ahsoka’s hand, “We were made as soldiers, but you adopted us anyway. Admittedly, we adopted you first.”

“Created to be soldiers?” Kenobi said faintly, discretely holding Anakin tighter. He watched the Cadets drilling on the field.

“How old were you when you were sent out?” He asked, with a steel resolve in his voice.

“Ten,” Cody said quietly.

“Ten?!” Kenobi spun in horror.

“Our aging was accelerated,” Cody replied in the same tone, “We looked twenty. I’m thirteen now.”

Kenobi looked like he was about to cry. They entered into the Negotiator, and Alpha steered them to the Officer’s Lounge quickly. He sat on a couch, Zatt in his lap, and indicated that Kenobi sit next to him.

“And did the Jedi punish whoever did this to you?” Kenobi said, eyes wild.

“Yes,” Cody nodded. Palpatine, by all accounts, had been reduced to a smooth purée by Skywalker and Master Windu. Most Clones only wished they had a chance to send a blaster bolt in his direction before the two Jedi minced him.

“I’m afraid that I need some time to process, to understand what’s going on,” Obi-wan said weakly, “Can you please direct us to our quarters?”

He’d yet to let go of Skywalker, Cody noticed. Skywalker was also visibly drooping, and Kenobi was valiantly keeping his eyes from permanently lowering to half-mast. Apparently time travel took it out of a man.

Cody nodded, and took them to Kenobi’s quarters. It was a fairly short distance from the lounge.

“There’s only one bed; Zatt’s quarters are right next door, and I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if Skywalker slept there. He can bunk with the cadets,” Cody offered, “He loves to do that anyway. The don’t sleep for the entire night, but they have a lot of fun.”

Kenobi shook his head, still holding Skywalker like a lifeline. The kid had fallen asleep in his arms.

“It will be fine, Cody,” he tried to smile. It didn’t look as confident or reassuring as he was probably hoping for.

“Alright, Kenobi,” Cody said, and watched the door slide shut. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he was going to regret this, somehow.

...

Obi-wan Kenobi was overwhelmed. He’d only been a Knight for three months, and yet here he was, apparently twelve years in the future, a Master of the Council. And his little broth- his Padawan, Anakin, was a Knight. He had a grand-Padawan. She knew him, and she loved him. He couldn’t help but smile a little desperately at the thought. He’d give his right arm for Anakin to have a bigger lineage then just the two of them, but their Padawans wouldn’t be alone. That what what mattered.

Force, he had another Padawan, Anakin’s younger Padawan-brother. The little Nautolan had seemed like the kind of child Obi-wan had allowed himself to dream about raising when he was younger; inquisitive and quick to smile, with a gentle presence in the Force.

He didn’t regret taking Anakin as his Padawan. He didn’t. How could he, especially now, with the evidence of their success all around him? But sometimes he still felt overwhelmed by the brightness of his Padawan’s Force signature, and how quickly he picked things up.

Anakin was a prodigy, and it was a travesty that he was not being taught by a Master. But no Master would take him, only Obi-wan, so Obi-wan could only do his best and fumble through, and hope he didn’t make too many mistakes.

He sighed, and settled Anakin on the berth. He could tell that this was his own room; he was fairly sure that the cover on the bed was the same one he’d had in the Temple since he was a Junior Padawan. It was a faded red, and was warm and soft.

He pulled it over Anakin, who curled a little further into the pillow, and sat at the foot of the bed. Anakin wasn’t tall enough to reach anywhere near the foot yet, especially curled up as the boy liked to sleep.

He saw a small holoprojector on the nightstand; one of the few decorations in the room. He’d always preferred a more spartan lifestyle. He supposed that hadn’t changed.

He dimmed the holo and flicked the projector on, smiling at the image of himself, Bant, Luminara, Garen, Reeft, Siri, and Quinlan in the crèche. The projector cycled through a progression of his youth, and then his Padawan-hood.

It still hurt to look at pictures of Master Jinn. He wondered if it did even for the Kenobi of this time.

The projector reached a picture of him and Anakin, together, both smiling timidly. That had been the day he took Anakin as an apprentice.

The projector kept cycling past what Obi-wan knew, pictures of Anakin with Obi-wan’s crèchemates, with some Padawans that were probably his friends, with him. They started to smile wider. Anakin got taller; goodness gracious did he get taller. Obi-wan grew a beard.

The Obi-wan in the here and now stroked his bare chin thoughtfully. His future self may have had a good idea.

There was a holo of Anakin, standing next to Obi-wan and beaming, his Padawan braid in his hand. His Padawan was a Knight. Anakin was taller than him. That should be illegal- he was the older one.

He shook off the frivolous thought, and continued watching the projector. Most of the holos now were taken when he and Anakin were dirty, tired, scared even, but smiling anyway. Often, there were others in the holos with them.

There were holos of the men from earlier, their brothers apparently. One of Alpha-17 first; dressed up in his armor, with bandages under some of the plates, shaking hands with Obi-wan. That was the last holo of him for a while.

Cody, sitting at a holotable looking down, Obi-wan beside him. Anakin and Rex, trying to mess up each other’s hair. More men Obi-wan didn’t know, dressed in the same colors as Cody and Rex.

Ahsoka. His grand-Padawan. Force, she was tiny, but he could see by her smile that she was fierce. The holo caught her mid-kata, practicing her lightsabers.

More pictures, of Ahsoka and Anakin, Rex, Cody, looking more and more tired for each holo. What had happened? They were often pictured with military equipment. Anakin, Obi-wan, and Ahsoka began to wear armor, painted in the same colors: blue and gold. Maybe Anakin and Obi-wan had been called to help with a war, to protect the Clones.

The holos’ tone shifted, suddenly. Everyone in them was happy. Anakin, with- was that Queen Amidala?- And two babies. Everyone else, taking turns holding the babies. Zatt, with Obi-wan, Cody and Alpha-17; the first day of Zatt’s apprenticeship, if the braid he was proudly displaying was any indication.

Obi-wan wondered where Alpha-17 had been; but, well, he was back now, that was what mattered.

Pictures of his family, pictures of other Jedi and Clones, from infants to adult men Alpha’s age. Everyone was happy.

He was glad they were happy. He smiled, drowsily. Anakin’s breathing was lulling him off to sleep. He almost didn’t notice when the holocycle restarted; he leaned back on the berth wall and slipped off to sleep.

...

Zatt startled awake from a nightmare that wasn’t his. A big, tall Human man with long hair, fighting Darth Maul, and dying for it. Screaming for his Master, crying as he died in his arms. Train the boy. You have to train the boy.

It was his Master’s nightmare, it must be. It was still odd to experience the world from about half a meter higher up, and with paler arms and hands. And some different muscles. Zatt had had no idea human hands were structured so oddly, that they were curled when relaxed. Nautolan hands were flat when relaxed.

He jumped off his bunk and padded to the door, then over to his Master’s room. He needed a hug after that. It wasn’t until he punched in the override code and watched the door whir open that he remembered that his Master wasn’t his Master right now.

That was when he saw Knight Kenobi sitting on the bed crying. Quietly, so as not to disturb the lump up on the head of the bed that was probably Anakin, but there were glistening tears on his cheeks and he gave a small sniffle before the door opened all the way.

He tried to hide it, of course, immediately afterwards, when he realized the door opened. He pretended to rub his eyes, like he was tired, and sat up with a stretch.

Zat scurried over, climbed on the bed, and sat in his lap. Master froze.

“It’s okay to cry,” Zatt said quietly, leaning against his Master.

“I don’t want to wake up Anakin,” his Master replied.

“If you don’t tell anyone you’re hurting, they won’t be able to help you,” Zatt countered.

Alpha has been really vigilant about drilling that one into Zatt, for everything from skinned knees to mourning for a pet tooka.

“Does Anakin know you’re sad?” Zatt continued.

“No, it’s not his burden to take,” Master said quietly.

“He’s your brother, he wants to help you,” Zatt told him.

Master sighed. Zatt leaned against him, still curled up in his lap. Master almost reflexively wrapped his arms around Zatt.

“Did Master Qui-gon really ask you to train Anakin just before he died?” Zatt said quietly.

Master froze.

“How do you know that, Zatt? I’ve never told anyone,” he said. Zatt knew his Master well enough to catch the wobble in his voice.

“I’m your Padawan, Master. There’s a bond between us, even if you can’t feel it right now. And if you can’t feel it, you can’t shield it,” Zatt explained.

Master gripped him tighter.

“I’m so sorry, Padawan, I’ve been neglecting you,” he whispered, in a tone of horror.

“You haven’t been neglecting me!” Zatt said cheerfully, “You’ve just let me stay with my uncles for a while!”

It was true. He’d eaten dinner with Cody and Alpha, then done some light historical tactics training before bed. ‘Light historical tactics training’ was Alpha’s euphemism for ‘storytime.’

“Your... uncles,” Master said uncertainly, “They take care of you?”

“You sometimes ask your friends to take care of Anakin,” Zatt pointed out, “Cody and Alpha won’t teach me lock-picking until I’m at least sixteen, so there is that.”

“I left Anakin alone with Quinlan Vos,” Master groaned, “I’m a horrible Master.”

“No you’re not, you’re the best,” Zatt said, and curled more into his Master’s chest.

His Master held him a bit tighter.

“You may be biased, little one,” he said fondly.

“Nope, you’re the best, Anakin agrees with me. Two to one vote, you’re outvoted,” Aunt Padmé had told him that that wasn’t quite how voting worked, but this was not the Senate.

“Anakin had better be still asleep,” Master said in a dangerous tone. There was a guilty shifting at the head of the bed.

“Sorry Master. I was trying to go back to sleep, promise!” Anakin piped up.

Master tipped his head back in exasperation.

“I’m starting to understand why the Code forbids taking more than one Padawan at once,” he said dryly.

“Don’t worry, Master Plo is working on getting that changed,” Zatt reassured him.

“Of course he is,” Master muttered, as he opened his arm for Anakin to crawl under. Zatt shifted to his other side, there simply wasn’t enough space for two Padawans on top of Obi-wan, even two small ones.

“Did Master Qui-gon really tell you to train me?” Anakin said, quietly, “Right before he died?”

Master sighed.

“Yes,” He murmured back, “But that doesn’t mean you’re not important to me.”

Anakin looked over at Zatt.

“And we have a family now? It’s not just the two of us?” He asked.

Zatt nodded.

“Then it’s going to be okay,” Anakin said, with an impressive degree of certainty for a ten-year-old that fell asleep as soon as he finished talking. Zatt could feel himself joining him.

He patted his Master’s shoulder one more time as he drifted off.

“He’s right, Master, it’s going to be okay,” he said, and knew no more.

...

Anakin woke up the next morning to muffled giggling coming from the door. He opened his eyes with a scowl (it wasn’t a pout, Obi-wan!), only to find the three Human men and the Togruta woman from yesterday standing in the door with holocams.

“Wha’ss goin’ on?” He slurred. Next to him, Obi-wan started stirring. The holocams were quickly hidden.

“Vos called, said he found a solution,” Ahsoka said. That was her name, right?

“Oh, good,” Obi-wan mumbled. He tried to straighten up, only to find himself thoroughly trapped by two preteen boys.

“Zatt, Anakin, I’m going to have to request that you get off,” he said, voice even.

There was a snicker from the door again. Obi-wan gave a pretty impressive glare in that direction, but the snickering did not subside.

Anakin obligingly scrambled off, and so did Zatt on the other side. Obi-wan stood up and tried to get the wrinkles out of his robes. He was fussy that way.

They were led through a maze of passages out onto the plain, again. Anakin still thought that all the starships were absolutely wizard. They walked toward the big old building that they got lost in yesterday, and were led further and further down until they were in a small room with a lot of little trinkets on the walls. Knight Vos was waiting for them. Wait, did they say he’d gotten his Mastery? Anakin couldn’t remember.

“It’s fairly simple,” Vos began, “Which is probably how you two activated it in the first place.”

Anakin couldn’t help but feel a little offended at being called simple. He didn’t let it show on his face. The Jedi didn’t seem to be big fans of facial expression. 

“All you do is pick this up,” Vos indicated a small statue, “While standing within range of this circle,” an ornate wall ornament that did look kind of round.

Suddenly, he picked up the statue.

“And this is all you do to reverse it!” He grinned toothily.

“Quinlan!” Obi-wan yelled as the circle started to glow and hum. Vos skipped to the corner of the room, still smiling like a lunatic.

Anakin would have frowned at him, but he started to remember things. His first mission. The other Padawans, the ones he did most of his mission running with, Darra, Tru, Ferus Karking Olin. A hundred more missions. Padmé. The Clone Wars- oh, Kark, the Clone Wars. Alpha, the Padawan Pack, Cody, Rex, Ahsoka, Zatt. How could he forget them?

He looked up at his Master; his memories were all back, but he hadn’t physically changed back yet. He pulled Obi-wan’s sleeve, tugging them both to sit on the floor. Then he crawled into his big brother’s lap, one more time, and gave him the kind of hug he missed from when he was actually little: grabbing his Master’s neck, and being wrapped up in an incredible amount of voluminous robes and a feeling of safety. He held it until he felt himself start to grow again, and then gently disentangled himself to sit beside him for the duration. Obi-wan slipped his hand into Anakin’s.

It hurt like kark, to put it mildly. Growing the better part of a meter in five minutes was no fun at all. But, well, when the glow and humming died down, he was back at his normal size, and looking at a Master Kenobi with a beard and a few more laugh lines than he’d had previously.

Obi-wan raised an eyebrow at him.

“Now do you understand what I mean when I say don’t touch the artifacts?” He asked archly.

Oh, that was right. He’d been the one to activate the statue the first time.

“Yes, Master,” he sighed.

“Uh, Masters?” Came the query from Snips, at the entrance of the room.

He turned around and blinked. Snips was standing in the doorway with Zatt, and... three Clone Cadets?

The tallest one, the one in the middle, stepped forward.

“You have committed unauthorized removal of Republic Property, Serial numbers Alpha-17, CC-2224, and-“ he looked expectantly at the little blond Cadet.

“CT-7567,” The Cadet responded properly.

“from the Kamino Cloning Facility! Return us at once and face your penalty!” Alpha-17 finished.

Oh, kark.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Picking up where we left off, it’s the Clones’ turn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was honestly not expecting this to be so popular. Maybe I should have ripped off overdone sci-fi tropes sooner. But really, guys, your support means a lot.   
> I have several different ideas about how Chapter 3 will go, so it might be a bit longer to get out. However, there’s still lots of fluff in Chapter 2. 
> 
> Warning: themes of referenced child abuse.

Obi-wan looked at Alpha and Cody in horror. He supposed he had no room to talk, having been twenty-one just ten minutes ago, but he couldn’t help but ask the Force why these things always happened to them.

Just last month Master Plo had gone on an arbitration mission, and the only bad thing that happened was a little poisoning! If Obi-wan and Anakin had gone, there would have been explosions within the first hour of their arrival.

Alpha was doing a very good droid imitation. It was eerie, the way he kept his face perfectly still with only his sense in the Force betraying his fear. Next to him, Cody and Rex were much the same.

Force, Alpha didn’t look older than eighteen, so he must have been nine standard. Cody was probably four, and Rex three. Alpha was dressed like a Clone Shiny, blank and white armor in what looked like a predecessor to the MK I armor style. Cody was wearing red training armor, with a clear visor. Rex didn’t even have armor yet, just the bland blue tunics that the Kaminoans dressed the Littles in.

“Return us to Kamino at once!” Alpha demanded again, stepping in front of his brothers.

Next thing Obi-wan knew, Alpha had drawn a training blaster, and was pointing it directly at them. Cody was covering them over his shoulder, and Rex was trying to fight Zatt, as the Nautolan boy was between them and the exit. He was winning, too, mostly due to the element of surprise and Zatt’s unwillingness to hurt him. Ahsoka had just stepped back and appeared to be trying to take holos of the entire scene.

Obi-wan needed to calm them down. He unclipped his lightsaber from his belt, and held it out to Alpha, as proof of what he was saying.

“I am Jedi Master-High General Obi-wan Kenobi,” he said, wincing at the military rank, “A duly appointed Officer of the Republic. I am your and your brothers’ commanding officer. There was an accident in exploring an old Temple, and I am afraid memory loss seems to be some of the side effects of the accident. But I assure you, Alpha, you are where you are supposed to be.”

“I’m Jedi Knight-General Anakin Skywalker,” Anakin caught on, “I’m Re-“

Obi-wan gave him a hard look. Names were private unless told to someone, for the Clones , and Rex wouldn’t have told his name to Anakin yet.

If he even had it yet. Force.

“I’m CT-7567’s direct command, and this is Jedi Padawan-Commander Ahsoka Tano, my apprentice, as well as Padawan-Commander Zatt Morness, Master Kenobi’s apprentice” Anakin corrected himself, “That’s Jedi Master-General Vos in the back corner, ignore him.”

Vos squawked in indignation. Alpha’s suppressed fear was slowly turning to suppressed amusement.

Rex almost smiled, even. It was only evident to those who looked for it, but there was a flash of amusement in his eyes. Anakin beamed at him in response, and he near-visibly startled.

“This is going to sound very odd,” Kenobi soothed, “But five minutes ago, you were approximately eight years older than you are right now. You were our Noncommissioned Officers for our Legions.”

They could almost see Alpha’s concept of what is possible warring with his loyalty to the idea of Jedi, and to the Republic. His loyalty won.

Alpha’s loyalty would always win, probably.

“Can you offer proof of this claim?” Alpha asked hesitantly.

“Master Ti is on her way,” Ahsoka said, “She has more experience with Kamino Cadets than Master Plo. And she has Colt with her.”

They could actually hear her coming. Apparently Master Ti did not only have Colt with her, but also an entire class of Littles. It was a good move on her part; having Littles around would probably set Alpha, Cody, and Rex more at ease.

Alpha didn’t move or change his expression, but he perked up at the noise. Apparently Littles were a soft spot of his.

... Obi-wan felt a bit stupid. Last Alpha remembered, he was raising Littles, of course he had soft spot.

Master Ti walked in, followed by Colt and 99. Alpha perked up even further.

“Greetings,” Master Ti said serenely. Colt, beside her, was less serene; he looked like all of his birthdays were coming at once.

“You’re so tiny!” He said to Cody, “I don’t remember us being this tiny! And look at ‘67, he’s even tinier! So cute!”

“You didn’t need your Officers back, I hope?” Shaak whispered to Obi-wan. He gave her a chiding look.

“Who, exactly, are you?” Alpha said severely. His Force presence was undercut by tones of confusion, though.

“Sorry Alpha! I’m CC-1410, but everyone calls me Colt nowadays,” Colt bounced.

Cody was just looking at his fellow CC placidly, but his Force presence radiated awe.

Right. The Clones, to a man, tended to look up to older brothers.

There were worse people to hero-worship than Colt, Obi-wan supposed. He’d done an entire apprenticeship with Qui-gon Jinn and his myriad pathetic life forms; nothing Cody could adopt in imitation of Colt could surprise him.

Not after the baby gundark and the juvenile Krayt dragon. That had been an interesting mission.

...

Anakin was having a hard time. He wasn’t in pain anymore, which was nice, but he had to watch Rex be so scared of him. He’d dropped to his knees, because he knew that his height could scare kids sometimes, and kept his hands open and visible. And he made a couple jokes at Vos’s expense; he’d been rewarded with an almost-smile. Rex never really could control his face as well as his brothers could; probably because CTs had less interactions with trainers.

But then Colt walked in, and introduced himself, and the kids’ eyes lit up. The Clones were used to only getting kindness from other Clones. And Colt being so open with his name, well, that just fueled their hopes.

Alpha, however, was focused on the Clone next to Colt.

“99?” He asked, hesitantly.

“Yes, 17?” 99 responded gently.

Alpha’s eyes got very large.

“It’s really you?” He took a hesitant step forward, then looked at the Jedi askance.

99 knelt gingerly on the floor and opened his arms.

“You won’t get in trouble, here, for hugging your brother,” he said. Alpha catapulted forward, clinging to 99 like he never wanted to let go.

Colt probably saw their questioning looks.

“His full serial number is Alpha-99,” he murmured.

Oh. Oh, that made an awful amount of sense. No wonder Alpha always tried to take care of the Littles. He’d always wanted to be like the rest of his brothers.

Cody and Rex looked longingly at their brothers hugging, but Colt knelt down too, and gently hugged them both as well.

There must be dust in Anakin’s eye; he couldn’t think of any other reason for it to be watering like that.

“Let’s get you someplace that’s not a dusty old cave,” 99 said kindly. He shepherded the boys out toward the surface. Their expressions when they saw Habitat Fleet were amazed. Master Ti bid her goodbyes, and escorted the Littles back to the Minstrel of the Dawn. Colt and 99 continued walking with them.

Alpha, though, kept alert. His eyes snapped to rustling grass not too far from their positions.

Colt put his hand on Alpha’s shoulder.

“Don’t worry, Alpha, it’s just Cadets. They’re stealth training,” he murmured encouragingly.

“Stealth training was last week,” 99 rebutted absently, staring at the horizon.

An entire squad of Littles erupted from the grass and tackled Colt. Colt yelled dramatically as he went down.

“This week it’s ambush,” 99 finished smugly.

Alpha’s eyes had about fallen out of his head at the display. Anakin sympathized; the Littles were ferocious when they wanted to be.

Cody and Rex were staring too, but in amazement. The Littles were having a grand old time, laughing and trying to tickle Colt between his armor plates. Colt, naturally, tickled every Little within reach in return.

Alpha’s Force signature became more and more fragile the longer he watched. Anakin looked at Obi-wan, and they gave a nod of agreement.

“Alpha-17, would you, CC-2224, and CT-7567 follow me please?” Obi-wan requested. Alpha, Cody, and Rex snapped to attention, and followed himself, Anakin, Ahsoka, and Zatt to the Negotiator.

Obi-wan sighed, and led them to the forward Officer’s Lounge.

“When was the last time you ate?” He asked absently, fetching some ration packs from the small cabinet where they were kept.

“Six hours ago for the CC and the CT,” Alpha replied warily, “Twelve for me.”

Ahsoka brought the hot water kettle over to rehydrate the packets. They could be rehydrated with cold water, but the food somehow managed to taste even worse when cold.

Obi-wan, the mother hen, handed a steaming packet to each child. Rex and Cody ate ravenously, while Alpha took a couple of bites and then mostly stirred the white glop and red goo around until it was one pink gelatinous mass. He did eat it, eventually, when it had congealed, but with the air of a man who was operating under autopilot.

When the two smaller Clones had finished their ration and had been given a piece of fruit each for dessert, Alpha gathered his resolve for something, and then stood up and looked Obi-wan in the eye.

“There are squadrons of juvenile Clones on this vessel, correct?” He asked.

Obi-wan nodded, uncertain of where this was going.

“And the training that CC-1410 administered to the squad we observed earlier, is that fairly standard?” Alpha asked.

“Well, depending on who they tackle, yes, somewhat. Wolffe might just tell them good job, and Grey might take them to pounce on his son Caleb, for example,” Obi-wan said. Alpha nodded, with the air of someone with a great weight lifted off his shoulders.

“I’d like to request the transfer of CC-2224 and CT-7567 to one of the squads on your vessel,” he said, emotionlessly.

“What?!” Came a small voice.

...

Alpha-17 wasn’t really having a good day. It wasn’t bad, per se, but not good either. He walked through a hallway in Tipoca City, and the next thing he knew, he was standing in a dusty underground room with Jedi all around him, and his troublemaker and a CT he didn’t know beside him.

It just got more confusing from there. The prairies were beautiful; he never realized that grass could move like that before, like the oceans on Kamino but gentler and much less dangerous.

And the squad of Cadets ‘training’ had set his thoughts in motion. This was obviously a place where the kids weren’t trained so hard. He needed to get ‘24 transferred to one of the squads that were allowed to play-fight with older brothers in the name of training, if this lasted any length of time. Alpha knew that he was unsuitable to take care of children.

He had a hard time believing this was their future. He knew karking well that all that awaited him and the kids in the future was war and death. However, if they were here, he would do his best to get the kids safe.

He almost didn’t register ‘24’s voice. The kid sounded upset, and Alpha didn’t have a clue why. He thought the kid would be overjoyed, getting to stay here in the sun.

“Alpha, what is your reasoning to transfer the Cadets under your command?” The High General asked calmly.

Alpha liked the High General. He had nice eyes, and he hadn’t raised his voice or his hand to them yet. Neither had the other General. They even allowed Alpha to hug 99, and the kids to hug that CC. All in all, much better Officers than the training ones at Kamino.

“They’ll be given more enrichment here, with less risk of physical injury, and better nourishment,” Alpha made up on the spot.

The High General blinked. The General just looked pained.

“And you don’t want to be transferred with them?” The General said, neutrally.

Alpha blinked. He’d not considered that.

“If you have space, certainly, but I must request they get the priority,” he returned.

“Has my performance been unsatisfactory?” ‘24 asked. He’d stood up and stepped closer. Alpha hadn’t noticed.

“No,” Alpha said, confused, not that he let it show. This seemed like a nice place, but he wasn’t going to risk reconditioning.

“Has my decision tree become flawed?” ‘24 pressed. The Jedi suddenly looked even more pained. It was almost like they thought the Clones weren’t droids.

Droids didn’t have behaviors, they had decision trees.

“No,” Alpha said again.

“Am I otherwise defective?” ‘24 finished.

“Of course not, why are you asking me this?” Alpha said, frustrated but flat.

“Why are you sending me away?” ‘24 asked pointedly, with an easily discernible undertone of hurt.

Alpha’s eyes immediately turned to the natborns in the room at ‘24’s emotional wording. He’d been so close! He almost got ‘24 safe! Now the kid would be reconditioned and Alpha could do nothing to stop it!

He was surprised, though, that the Jedi weren’t mad, or moving toward him or ‘24. Instead, they just looked sad. That made absolutely no sense.

“You’ll be safe, and your kids will be safe, as long as you are here,” murmured the High General, “We won’t hurt you, whatever you do.”

Alpha couldn’t believe that, but ‘24 seemed to. He all but ran forward, and attached himself to Alpha’s leg. Alpha froze, heart in his throat. Still, the Jedi made no move to come near them.

Alpha slowly bent down, and picked ‘24 up, like he’d been able to when ‘24 was littler. Now, though, he didn’t have the excuse that the kid walked too slowly to get anywhere.

“I just want you to be safe, in a nice place, where you can be happy,” he whispered to ‘24, “And if I have to send you away to do that, then I will. I’m sorry.”

‘24 made a small noise of protest, and burrowed deeper into his arms.

The Jedi still didn’t move, but the Togruta Commander picked up the Nautolan too.

“I need someone to hug right now,” she explained to her teacher. The General nodded.

“Can I take a holo of you?” The High General said quietly, “So your brothers know you’re alright?”

Alpha couldn’t see a reason not to, so he started to put ‘24 down and stand at attention.

“No, don’t worry, you’re fine,” The High General reassured. He snapped a quick holo, and sent it out with a ping.

“It’ll go to Colt, and the rest of the CCs, as well as the rest of the Alphas,” he reassured them.

“Including 46?” Alpha groaned, “He’ll never let me live it down.”

‘24 just tucked his head in the junction of Alpha’s neck and shoulder, refusing to let go of his grip on Alpha’s neck. Alpha was feeling a bit tired himself, but he’d gone longer without sleep. The CT had dozed off in the corner already, but the Jedi hadn’t seemed to notice.

Well, the little Nautolan noticed, but looked much too content to do anything about it.

“You will never be punished, here, for taking care of your brothers,” The High General reassured, with an odd kind of pain in his eyes.

Alpha decided to believe him. None of the officers had ever looked at him like that before, like he was a person that they cared about. It was a nice look.

...

Ahsoka’s heart had about torn into little pieces over the last two days. First, her Masters had been turned into hurt, wary kids, then this. Alpha still felt terrified of them, though the fear was starting to fade. At least Cody had decided to trust them, if only a little. And Rex, well, he just fell asleep. Whether that was a good or bad sign remained to be seen.

“Is there a barracks around here?” Alpha asked carefully.

Right, Skyguy and Obi-wan has been pretty bushed after they shrunk. It stood to reason the same would apply to her other brothers.

Skyguy picked up Rex gently, carefully not reacting to Alpha’s sudden burst of surprise at the sight, and led them to Cody and Alpha’s quarters. It was a Commander’s quarters, but Cody had converted the attached office into a bunk room for Alpha.

Cody did most of his paperwork in Obi-wan’s office anyway. It was how they spent time together, during the war. This was also how Cody had developed his crippling tea addiction. He was almost as bad as Master Obi-wan.

Anakin settled Rex on the bed in Alpha’s room, and tucked him in gently. Skyguy was such a softy since he had his kids.

Alpha put Cody in the bunk in the main room, gently removed the CC’s practice blaster from the holster to put it up on a high shelf (1), and smoothed down the kid’s hair when he thought they weren’t looking. It took all Ahsoka’s ingrained Jedi Serenity not to coo at the sight.

Master Obi-wan rummaged through the closet and brought out a sleeping cot, but Alpha shook his head.

“I’ll take first watch,” he said, as if he needed to keep watch at all.

Obi-wan looked at him searchingly, and then nodded. He removed his comm from his bracer and handed it to Alpha.

“If there’s an emergency, please call one of these numbers,” he said, indicating his comm’s contacts list.

“Not Cody or Rex, though, they’re unavailable right now,” Anakin said quietly. Ahsoka closed her eyes. They were unavailable and they were right in front of them.

Alpha nodded, seriously, and took the comm and tucked it in his belt. He sat on the floor opposite the bunk, leaning against the wall, but didn’t relax. Ahsoka had a feeling that he never relaxed, at this age.

Obi-wan knelt across from him, and held out his hand. Alpha searched his face for a moment, and put his hand in Obi-wan’s.

“I just wanted to make it clear that we care about you, and that you can ask us for help for anything,” her Grandmaster said softly. Alpha nodded, something like wonder in his eyes.

“Why do you care so much?” He asked quietly.

Obi-wan smiled, gently and a little sadly.

“You’re our brothers, Alpha, of course I care,” he replied.

“You’re not Clones,” Alpha said uncertainly.

“No, but that doesn’t mean you’re not our family. We adopted each other, but that doesn’t mean any less than if we were born related,” Master Obi-wan rebutted.

“Karking right,” Anakin murmured from behind him.

Obi-wan squeezed Alpha’s hand gently, and then got up and showed him how to lock the door from the inside. He ushered the Jedi from the room and closed the door behind him.

The last thing Ahsoka saw was Alpha’s dark eyes looking after them, gleaming in the light from the hall. Then the door whooshed shut.

Master Obi-wan took a moment to lean against the wall, his face in his hand. Anakin leaned against him, looking down, and Ahsoka took Zatt over too.

“They’re here,” she reminded them, “They’re safe, and we will never let them be hurt that way again.”

Skyguy nodded, but contacted Vos on his wrist comm.

“What the kark happened in there, Vos?” He said sternly. Vos seemed unusually ruffled when he responded.

“This is more an art than a science, Skywalker,” Vos hissed, “And exactness doesn’t come with the territory.”

“I understand, Quin,” Obi-wan said, “But we need exactness the next time we go into that chamber. Rex is three at the moment. If the chamber decides to send them back again instead of forward, he probably won’t exist.”

Ahsoka felt like she’d been punched in the got. Zatt clutched her tightly. Even Skyguy looked sick for a moment.

“I’m working on it. And I brought help,” Vos panned the holo over to the other side of the room, revealing Jocasta Nu.

“Get back to work, Vos,” she said, without looking up. Vos nodded and cut the connection.

Anakin wrapped one arm around Ahsoka and Zatt, and the other around Master Obi-wan.

“It’ll be okay,” he said, in a tone that dared the universe to defy him.

It would be okay.

...

‘24 had fallen asleep fairly quickly, tucked into the bed that was so much more comfortable than the berths at Kamino. However, he woke up again fairly quickly as well, which was odd for how tired he was.

He looked around, hoping to find the reason he was awake, but heard a noise before he saw anything. Muffled, but it was unmistakably a quiet sob. He saw a slight movement in the faint light of the holo-chrono on the wall, and turned towards Alpha.

Alpha was leaning against the wall, his head in his hands. His shoulders were shaking a little bit. It must be a bad night for him; he had them occasionally.

If ‘24’s batchmates were here, they’d play a quick game of chance to figure out who would pretend he had a nightmare. As it was, it was just ‘24, so he hopped out of the bunk and padded over to Alpha.

“Alpha, I had a nightmare,” he announced, stopping a couple feet from the other Clone. When they were really little, ‘05 had tried to wake Alpha up by shaking his shoulder, and had almost been thrown through a wall before Alpha woke up enough to see who was ‘attacking’ him. He still ended up with a fairly impressive bruise around his wrist, though.

None of them forgot the look on Alpha’s face that night. It was the first time he’d shown any emotion at all in front of them, and none of them wanted to see that emotion ever again. So they started announcing themselves, before climbing into Alpha’s bunk.

Alpha gave a small jerk, and subtly wiped his face clean of any tears before looking up at ‘24. He had this strange idea that he shouldn’t have emotions in front of them, still. ‘24 and his batchmates were trying to work that out of him, but it was taking a while.

“What was it about?” He asked, gently. His voice only wobbled a little, and only on the first word. ‘24 hated that Alpha could just shut himself away like that so quickly.

“I was sent away,” ‘24 invented.

‘24 knew he misstepped when he saw Alpha’s concealed wince. Of course his older brother would take that personally, he had almost sent ‘24 away today.

But Alpha had tried to send him away because he wanted ‘24 to be safe. It was such a very Alpha reason to do anything, but he wanted Alpha to know that he’d miss him if he was sent away.

If he was sent away to a safe place, he promised himself, he’d work his way up the chain of command and get Alpha transferred there too.

“I’m sorry,” Alpha apologized again, helplessly.

“It wasn’t being sent away that was scary,” Cody tried to reassure Alpha, “It was being alone.”

“You’re not alone,” Alpha replied, and held his arm up for ‘24 to crawl under. ‘24 had other ideas.

“I’ll feel less alone if you let me sleep in your bunk,” ‘24 pointed out logically, using Alpha’s raised arm to try and leverage the older Clone upright.

“I don’t have a bunk right now,” Alpha said confusedly.

‘24 nodded. Now for his final point.

“Well, you’ll just have to bunk in mine, instead,” he insisted, pulling Alpha toward the strangely comfortable bunk. Alpha didn’t resist much.

He only stopped when ‘24 climbed into the bed, and started to pull him down too.

“How about I just keep watch?” Alpha tried pulling back against ‘24, but ‘24 held tight.

“Nope. If you stay awake, you can only fight monsters from the awake world, but if you go to sleep with me, you can fight dream monsters,” ‘24 replied, with the line of logic that had been used on Alpha since his squad figured out it was the best way to get Alpha to sleep.

“Alright,” Alpha sighed, carefully unholstered his training blaster and put it up on a shelf with ‘24’s, and climbed into the bed with ‘24. ‘24 wasted no time in bringing the blanket up over them.

It was an odd blanket; it looked like a robe, with sleeves and everything, but it was soft and warm and somehow better than any other blanket ‘24 had ever seen.

The blanket apparently worked on Alpha, too, because the older Clone finally relaxed a little bit. He even put his arm over ‘24, gently, like he was expecting ‘24 to reject him, which was just plain silly. He’d never reject Alpha.

‘24 curled up against his Alpha’s chestplate, put his own arm over Alpha’s side as far as he could reach, listened to the comforting sound of his brother’s heartbeat, and waited contentedly for sleep to come.

...

‘67 woke up, feeling well rested for the first time in ages. It was still dark in the room, and he could hear the soft breathing of the Alpha and the CC through the door. He got up, and used all his stealth training to get the door closed quietly.

You didn’t wake sleeping brothers for anything less than an emergency, they might not have slept in the last day.

Then he started to look around the room he was in.

After he found the lights, he discovered that it was rather bare. Not like Kamino, though, it wasn’t clean and white. It just didn’t have a lot of stuff in it. What caught his eye was a holo on the wall, a flat one. It showed a lot of people; almost as much as a full squad.

There were the Jedi from earlier, all smiling. There was a pretty lady, also smiling, holding two little Tubies. How had they gotten out of their Tubes? They were too little to be decanted yet. They weren’t the part of the holo that ‘67 was interested in, though.

There were three grown-up Clones, even bigger than the Alphas, but kinder-looking than the Nulls. They looked like the Clone who said he was a CC, from earlier. One was wearing white armor streaked withorange, and had a cool scar by his left eye. The others were wearing white armor with blue, and one looked older than the other, grumpier.

But ‘67’s eyes were drawn to the younger blue Clone. His hair was short, so it was hard to tell, but he was blond. He was a defective Clone, the Kaminoans would say, but he was standing with the Jedi and his brothers like he had nothing to be scared of. Like he was supposed to be there.

He was smiling. His hair was wrong, and he was smiling, and he was leaning against the General with his arm around Commander Tano. Rex clutched the holo to his chest, feeling hope.

He looked around the room for a while, until he ran out of things to look at. He kept a grip on the holo, though. After he had gotten bored, he tried the other door, not the one he’d shut earlier, but another one. It whooshed open, and he stepped out carefully.

He heard voices nearby, and followed them to a big room with a couple weird benches in it. They had backs, like chairs, and had a lot of padding on them, even more than ‘67’s berth on Kamino. The General and Commander Tano were sitting on one.

“Re-“ the General started, before the Commander elbowed him in the side. He startled and looked carefully at them: no one dared to touch the instructors like that! But the General just grimaced and rubbed his side. Maybe it worked different for Jedi.

“It’s nice to see you up!” The Commander grinned. He almost smiled back, but remembered not to at the last moment, so he simply gave his best salute.

“At ease, verd’ika,” The General murmured. He fell into a parade rest, content to stand with them. The room had something soft on the floor, so it was nice to stand on.

The General didn’t seem to like that. He patted the space between himself and the Commander with his hand.

“Come sit down, kid,” he offered, quietly and nicely. ‘67 was supposed to obey his General, so he sat. It was then that the General noticed the holo in ‘67’s hand.

“Hey, what’s that?” He asked, still being quiet. ‘67 laid the holo on his lap so the General could see the people in it.

“Do you know who those people are?” The Commander asked quietly, indicating the pretty lady and the Clones.

He shook his head no. He just liked the blonde Clone.

“This is my wife, Padmé, and our kids, Luke and Leia,” The General explained. Then he pointed to the orange Clone.

“That’s Commander Cody. He helps my Master, High General Kenobi, with his legion,” he said, indicating Kenobi in the holo when he mentioned the older man.

Then pointed he at the older blue Clone, “This is Alpha-17, he also helps my Master.”

Rex remembered the Alpha that was with them when he woke up in that dusty room. He had said he was Alpha-17, but the Alpha in the picture was much older.

“Are they the Alpha and CC sleeping in the room right now?” He asked.

The General nodded.

“Yeah. Something weird happened, but we’re trying to fix it,” he said sheepishly.

Rex almost didn’t hear him as he stared with sudden hope at the blond Clone. He pointed to the Clone in the holo, and looked up at the General.

“Who’s this?” He asked, excited.

The General scratched the back of his neck. The Commander took over.

“It may seem a bit odd,” she said, “But that’s you.”

It was him. He was he one laughing with the Jedi. He belonged someplace.

He hugged the holo to his chest and smiled at the Jedi.

“Thank you!” He said.

“You’re welcome,” offered the Commander, then hesitated, “Can I hug you?”

He blinked at her. The instructors never said what to do if your commanding officers wanted to hug you.

“Why?” He asked, swinging his feet.

“Because you’re my brother,” the Commander said, “And I love you.”

Rex stopped swinging his feet.

“You’re my sister?” He whispered in awe. Someone wanted him? They didn’t think he was defective?

“Yes,” murmured the General, “And I’m your brother.”

No wonder the grown-up ‘67 in the holo was so happy. ‘67 thought he could burst.

“I have a family!” He smiled. He hugged the Commander next to him, and before he could let her go to hug the General, the older man leaned over and hugged both of them at the same time.

They stayed like that for a long time, and ‘67 never wanted to leave.

...

Zatt’s Master was busy, explaining what had happened to their legions. He wandered the deck for a while, passing Rex and Anakin and Ahsoka talking to each other in the forward Officer’s Lounge, then decided he’d keep watch at his uncles’ door. They would be confused, like his Master had been, when he woke up on a strange ship.

He took out a data pad and did homework for a while, until he felt them wake up inside. He waited until he heard them start to move around before knocking on the door.

Alpha opened the door, looking up, like he expected an adult to be there. He blinked, and then his eyes started scanning downward until he found Zatt, who stood at a little lower than chest height for him still.

“Commander,” He saluted.

“At ease, Alpha,” Zatt said. It still sounded weird to him.

“I was hoping you were doing okay?” Zatt continued timidly.

Alpha blinked at him again. He shrugged, hesitantly.

Cody peeked out from behind him, face blank.

“I’m Zatt,” Zatt stuck his hand out to shake, ‘I’m your nephew, both of yours.”

Alpha blinked at him yet again. He usually was grumbling at Zatt by now. Cody’s eyes just got wide.

“You’re not a Clone,” ‘24 pointed out, tilting his head like a bird.

“Nope,” Zatt agreed, “We adopted each other.”

Alpha slowly reached down to shake Zatt’s hand. Progress!

“Can I give you a hug?” Zatt asked hopefully. Alpha nodded uncertainly, and Zatt launched forward to give him and Cody the biggest hug he could muster. Alpha stiffened for a minute, then relaxed slightly. Cody simply hugged back.

That was when Master rounded the corner, and couldn’t hide a smile. Or a quick snap of a holocam. Alpha gave him an accusing look.

“Alpha-17, CC-2224, it’s lovely to see you up and about. I see you’ve found Zatt,” he greeted. Alpha looked at him hesitantly, then down at Zatt hugging him. Zatt let go, turned to his Master, and tugged him over to the two Clones. Master let himself be pulled, but knelt down when he reached the two Clones.

“Hello there,” he smiled, giving a wink to Alpha.

“Good day, High General,” Alpha greeted, still looking a little out of his depth. Master put his hand forward slowly, palm up.

“Call me Obi-wan, Alpha, I’m your brother,” he said gently. Cody’s eyes got even wider.

“Are you my brother too?” He asked in a small voice. Master nodded, as Alpha slowly put his hand in Master’s, and Master gently squeezed.

Cody stepped forward hesitantly, and then hugged Master tightly. Master hugged back, patting Cody’s shoulders.

“It’s nicer here, than on Kamino,” Cody said quietly. Alpha nodded.

“I should hope,” Master grimaced. He gently let go of Cody, and Cody stepped back.

“Let’s get you some rations,” Master continued, standing up gracefully, making sure that his movements weren’t sudden. He gestured for them to follow him, taking them to the Officer’s Lounge.

Anakin and Ahsoka were still there with Rex. Rex was looking up at them both with very obvious hero-worship as he sat between them and listened to stories of all the missions they ran together. He saw Alpha and Cody, and slipped off the couch to run toward them, holding a holo in his hand.

“Look!” He said, thrusting it toward Alpha and Cody. Zatt peered over Cody’s shoulder- and wasn’t that odd, being taller than his uncle- and saw the holo was one of their family, with Cody, Rex, and Alpha as adults.

“That’s me!” Rex pointed to his adult self, smiling blindingly bright. Then his hand moved.

“And that’s you, and that’s you!” He pointed out adult Alpha, and adult Cody. In the holo, Cody was standing next to Master, holding Master’s lightsaber and smiling smugly. Master had lost it again, before the holo was taken. Holo Alpha was holding Zatt’s hand, and though his smile was small, it was genuine.

Alpha touched the holo like it was something precious. He looked at Zatt, and at his Master, with uncertainty.

“You’re really our family,” He said, half-questioningly. Zatt nodded, and saw his master doing the same in the corner of his eye.

“And we never have to go to Kamino again,” Alpha continued. Zatt’s Master nodded again. Zatt, Rex, and Cody simply watched the conversation, aware that something here was not being said. Cody probably knew. Cody always knew what other people were feeling.

“It turned out okay,” Alpha whispered, half to himself, going into that weird parade rest that Zatt saw him do sometimes, when he thought he was alone. It was the one that meant he needed a hug.

“It turned out okay, it’s going to be okay!” Alpha repeated, starting to smile, a very small smile, but a true one. His eyes started to shine, just a bit, with joy and tears.

Master stepped forward, and opened his arms questioningly. When Alpha just looked at him uncomprehendingly, if happily, he sighed and slowly and gently wrapped Alpha in a hug. Cody and Zatt quickly joined him, followed by Rex, and then Anakin and Ahsoka.

“It’s going to be okay,” Master murmured reassuringly, “And we will be there for as long as you need us to be.”

Zatt missed his uncles, but he couldn’t be sad that these versions of them were here to be hugged. He would miss being taller than Cody when they fixed this, so he resolved to enjoy it while he could.

And then tease Cody relentlessly about it when he was grown up again. Zatt smiled at the thought. He couldn’t wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Gun safety, kids: never allow yourself easy access to firearms if you are or will be in a state of mental impairment. Drowsiness and sleep are states of mental impairment. Most of the instructors I know recommend storing any firearms in a place where you need to physically get out of bed and take at least two steps to access. 
> 
> The Land Under the Mountain comes from the tale of the Pied Piper of Hamelin; it was the place where the piper took the children he led out of town. The children who were left behind said that the Land looked like it was magical, with lush hills and valleys.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which I pioneer a new writing technique, Hondo Ex Machina. It’s when I need something to jumpstart the plot that I use an an excuse for fluff with some action, so I have Hondo kidnap Obi-wan again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys- Finally Finished! sorry it took so long, I was making a Halloween costume. Then I got writer’s block.   
> As usual, I really appreciate comments, critiques, and favorite moments/lines. Thank you to my lovely readers!

Alpha-17 liked it here, on Dantooine. There were no trainers, no Kaminoan Scientists, no mandatory training. He could hug ‘24 whenever he wanted. He could take care of his younger siblings, and he had older brothers that cared about him and took care of him, not like the Nulls. It was so nice to not be the responsible one sometimes, though he was careful not to take it too far. He didn’t want to turn into Alpha-28, who had dumped a bucket of red dye on Vos’s head yesterday.

Though, well, Vos deserved it. He was Vos, and if half the stories that he’d been told about the man were true, he deserved it and more.

He still kept up his training, out of habit mostly, and had even added some. Apparently, the adults they had been before the Weird Force Kark had hit them liked to train with the Jedi. Nothing incredibly odd, mostly just running, basic fitness, and endurance exercises, but Alpha grew to like training with friends. It was peaceful, almost, to run next to the rest of his family, to push himself to be better because he wanted to be and not because there was someone behind him chasing him.

Their run one day was interrupted by a ship landing in front of them, one Alpha didn’t recognize. A Weequay staggered theatrically out, though Alpha couldn’t tell if he was drunk or just acting.

“Kenobi!” He raised his arms to shout, “I have come to earn my ransom!”

“Good morning, Hondo! How in the name of the Force do you keep slipping through the blockade?” Kenobi yelled back.

Kenobi always told them to call him Obi-wan, but Alpha still had a bit of a hard time with the concept. He settled for calling the man by his last name, which was still a marker of respect, for a Clone. Most Clones had only one name. Acknowledging that a person had two names, well, that implied importance.

And Kenobi and the rest of their family were important, that was perhaps the one thing Alpha knew right now.

“Ah, that is for me to know, my friend, and you to incessantly wonder about!” The Weequay, Hondo apparently, replied.

He then fired a capsule of some kind of knockout gas into the middle of their group. When Kenobi and Skywalker started clearing the gas with the Force, the capsule exploded into a small storm of electricity.

The next thing Alpha knew, every bone in his body was tingling and he was staring up at an unfamiliar ceiling. He groaned, and tried to sit upright, only to discover that his hands and feet were bound, and he was gagged. He managed to sit up, only to see Hondo standing in the doorway. They were in a cell of some sort, but it was only him and ‘24 and ‘67. The Jedi were nowhere to be found. His older brothers, and his sister and nephew, were nowhere to be found.

Hondo raised his hands with a flourish.

“My friends! It has come to my notice that I recently kidnapped Kenobi and tried to ensure his compliance with the wrong hostage!”

This karker was a repeat offender? And they hadn’t shot him yet?

Right. Jedi. Compassion for all living beings, and all that kark.

“To remedy this situation, I have decided to take everyone hostage!” Hondo flourished again.

‘67 and ‘24 gave each other a flat look. ‘24 turned his look on Ohnaka.

“Where’s the Jedi?” He asked, in a tone that would be pretty terrifying once he got to Alpha’s size.

Hondo merely giggled. It was slightly disturbing.

“Ah, my friend, that would be telling!” He theatrically gestured, and then turned and walked out.

Alpha sighed, and took stock. He was tied hand and foot with plastitape, with more plastitape across his mouth as a gag. He snuck a look over at ‘24 and ‘67, who only had plastitape on their hands. Apparently the pirates had a soft spot for kids. How nice of them.

They had been stripped of their training blasters, and Alpha’s knife sheath felt suspiciously light, but most of the rest of their kit was in place.

There was a single camera, in the corner of their cell, and the cell door had no window. A serious oversight, which Alpha fully intended to exploit.

He nodded at them to come over and they began to plan.

...

‘24 concentrated on getting his aim just right. He has holding a ration bar, kneaded and rolled into a small, dense ball. He stood out of range of the camera and lobbed the heavy, doughy ball up until it hit the side, and knocked the camera slightly off center. Anyone watching that camera could no longer see a small sliver of the room, about a meter wide, that was closest to the door.

‘67 and Alpha immediately scurried over. ‘67 removed Alpha’s gag, and then stepped out of the way as Alpha sheared the plastitape off his wrists with his knee.

Alpha rummaged around in his belt until he produced a small roll of steelstring, a thin, flexible wire meant for fishing or making traps during survival missions. He stretched it like a floss cutter, and made quick work of his leg bindings and of ‘67 and ‘24’s wrists.

‘24 frowned. He could have sheared the tape off his wrists with his knee, like Alpha, but Alpha was worried about his hands being too fragile for that yet. Alpha was such a worry wart.

Then came the difficult part, the waiting. Alpha had estimated that it would take the pirates five minutes to notice the broken camera, and come to fix it. It actually took fifteen, and that was only because ‘24 and ‘67 kept throwing stuff at the camera until it came off the wall entirely. Alpha waited with his ear pressed against the wall, listening for a guard.

When the guard finally came to check the camera, ‘24 could hear it even without his ear to the wall. The pirate’s operational security was terrible. He was loudly singing a rather rude song, out of time and off-key.

Alpha’s face only got more thunderous the longer he heard the song. ‘24 wasn’t sure what all the words meant, but it probably was something that fell under the category of ‘stuff the squad aren’t to know about until they’re full-bird Commanders’ in Alpha’s mind. There were a lot of things in that category, like ‘kissing girls,’ and also ‘where natborns come from’ for some reason. Natborns had to come from somewhere other than the gestation tube, but Alpha wouldn’t tell them!

The pirate punched in the key code for the door, and wandered in, swaying a bit. Alpha was on him before he came through the door all the way, putting one hand over his mouth and nose and the other arm in a solid chokehold across his windpipe. The pirate struggled a bit, and then slumped over like a sack of tubers. Alpha waited a little longer to make sure the man was actually unconscious, then beckoned ‘67 and ‘24 over.

Alpha took the pirate’s pistol for himself, and gave a knife he found on the man to ‘24. He gave another knife to ‘67, and used the steelstring to tie the pirate’s hands and feet together over his back. ‘67 found a bit of the plastitape that was still decently sticky, and gagged the pirate with it. The whole operation took about three minutes.

Alpha led them into the corridor, and they started searching for the Jedi. It was surprisingly easy. They could hear Hondo’s theatrics from nearly the other side of the ship. There were no doors between them and him, apparently.

‘24 revised his earlier assessment. It was not just the single Weequay pirate’s operational security that was terrible, but the whole karking outfit’s. And they’d managed to get captured by these people?

Alpha followed Hondo’s voice, subduing two more pirates on the way. They eventually came upon a hangar, with Hondo standing in the middle monologuing. Alpha pushed them behind some crates, and holy kriffing kark they’d been captured by karking morons with no sense of security at all, to listen to the speech.

“And of course your children are safe and sound, my friend! Though I do have a single, teensy-tiny question: when did you have children? The Jedi, I have been told, frown on such a thing immensely. Why, you should have seen the glare that pretty Weequay Knight gave me when I suggested...”

“You’d better stop right there, Hondo, little ears are listening,” came Kenobi’s voice, sounding tired. Whether he was still waking up from the stun grenade, or he had just been listening to the chattering pirate for too long, ‘24 couldn’t tell.

“Ah, yes, I had forgotten. You simply have more children than you know what to do with, Kenobi! I am hurt you did not introduce this one to his Uncle Hondo sooner!” The pirate nattered.

Alpha risked a peek over the edge of the crate, and sighed. He ducked back down to ‘67 and ‘24.

“There’s no one else in here. Attack in three seconds,” he whispered. He closed the door to the hangar quietly, and on the third second, fried the control to the door so it couldn’t open again.

“Freeze! Hands in the air!” Alpha barked, holding the blaster quite threateningly. The pirate froze and thrust his hands up.

“They clearly inherited your ability to escape! Is it too much to hope that they have inherited your aim?” He asked Kenobi. Kenobi blinked in surprise, then in offense.

“I killed Grievous with a blaster!” Kenobi claimed.

Skywalker clicked his tongue.

“A fluke if I ever heard one,” he teased Kenobi.

“My aim is fine!” Kenobi insisted.

‘24 shook his head. Kenobi was lying through his teeth. His aim was worse than a two-year-old Clone’s.

Skywalker’s attention shifted, thankfully.

“Wait, you think they’re Obi-wan’s kids?” He asked Hondo, eyes full of laughter.

The pirate shrugged, still with hands in the air. Smart pirate.

“Well, they are human, Kenobi is human, and Skywalker would have had to start quite young to get the oldest one,” he admitted.

Skywalker choked. Kenobi merely put his face in his hands.

“Just... let us go, Hondo. You’ve been beaten,” he muttered defeatedly. The pirate shrugged, still with his hands in the air, kicked open the door of the weird cell that the Jedi were in, and ushered them all to a rather rickety-looking escape pod.

It took a bit of squeezing to get them all in. Zatt ended up on Obi-wan’s knees, ‘67 curled on Ahsoka’s lap, and ‘24 clung to Alpha like the little lizard-monkey Alpha had often referred to him as when he was younger, but they managed in the end.

“How often does this happen, exactly?” Alpha asked, with an edge in his tone, once they were launched.

...

Anakin looked up from typing the distress signal into the rickety transmitter.

“About once a month, for Obi-wan. Once a year or so, for the rest of us. Why?” He asked, mind still on the signal.

“Why do you not have a designated protocol for this?” Alpha near-growled.

“We do,” Obi-wan replied, “However, the protocol is missing certain pieces right now.”

Alpha gave them a hard look.

“We’re the ones who normally rescue you, aren’t we?” He said, indicating himself, Rex, and Cody, “When we’re adults.”

Obi-wan nodded, reluctantly.

“Why haven’t you turned us back yet?” Alpha continued, bluntly.

Obi-wan just blinked at him.

“It’s not safe,” he said quietly. Anakin shuddered. He didn’t want to think about what would happen to Rex and Cody if the chamber took them back instead of forward again.

“So karking what! Your chain of command is crippled, and we can’t help you because we haven’t had near enough training yet! You have to turn us back!” Alpha insisted.

“Your worth is not determined by what you can do, Alpha, or what duties you fulfill,” Anakin cut in. He’d had some of these same problems, when he was newly freed. Obi-wan had taken him to one of the Temple therapists and he’d visited her every week for a year. She’d helped him work through it.

He wondered if he could look her up again, for Alpha.

“We are not at war, Alpha. My chain of command is functioning just fine, and would even if myself, Waxer, and Boil were also incapacitated. Triple redundancy is a lesson that the war taught us well,” Obi-wan returned.

“And all the triple redundancy in the world won’t help us if we lose you when we can’t fight back! The loss of a Jedi is unacceptable!” Alpha insisted.

Obi-wan blinked at him.

“Your loss is also unacceptable,” he returned implacably, “But if you insist, and your brothers both agree, we shall arrange to attempt to return you to your normal age.”

Cody nodded, still with his face in Alpha’s shoulder. Rex also nodded, curled up in Ahsoka’s lap.

Alpha returned a flat gaze to Obi-wan. Obi-wan sighed.

“We shall contact Master Nu as soon as we get back to Dantooine,” he said defeatedly, “Which will probably be soon.”

There was a clunk against the airlock, and Quinlan Vos staggered in, almost hitting Ahsoka in the face with a flailing arm. Typical.

“I’m here to rescue you!” He announced dramatically, “I’ve been wanting to meet this Hondo fellow for ages!”

Anakin’s mind rapidly conjured up images of the disaster that would be Quinlan Vos and Hondo Ohnaka in the same room and shuddered. Based on Obi-wan’s rapidly paling face, he had similar thoughts.

“Thank you, Quin,” Obi-wan said, still preoccupied with whatever imagined disaster was playing merrily in his brain, “But Alpha managed perfectly fine.”

“Told you so!” Fox yelled through the hatch, “Alphas are scary when they want to be!”

“Like yesterday when I found ‘34 baking you cookies?” Quinlan yelled back.

“Very scarily making cookies!” Fox returned.

Cody tugged at Alpha-17’s spaulder (1).

“I told you that Squadron 34 got candy once!” He hissed.

Alpha nodded slowly.

“I suppose you were right,” he replied, “But how does one scarily make cookies?”

Fox poked his head in the hatch. He couldn’t fit anything else in the already overcrowded life pod.

“It’s all in the scowl,” he told Alpha. Alpha scowled at him, and Fox nodded.

“Just like that,” he added, and ducked back out. Fox had been spending too much time with Vos.

Vos staggered back after him, and suddenly Anakin could breath easier.

“We’ll go to the chamber as soon as we land,” Obi-wan murmured. Alpha nodded, and settled in with Cody. Anakin just closed his eyes and prayed.

Force, let everything be all right.

...

After all the worrying and fretting that Obi-wan could feel himself and the other Jedi members of their little family doing, the actual age reversal was a bit anticlimactic. It turned out the problem from last time was that the Clones had been slightly inside the circle of effect of the ritual, according to Madame Nu and a Knight Curator that seemed a little younger than the last time Obi-wan had seen them.

Master Nu shepherded the Clones to the center of the floor, removed the statue and quickly and professionally stepped out of the way, and they all watched patiently as the process finished. It was something to see from the outside, watching their brothers stretch and grow like a holo played quintuple-time. Obi-wan waited for the ritual to end, though he could admit it took much too long for his tastes.

As soon as the light died down again, Anakin and Ahsoka were off like blaster bolts, making a beeline towards Rex to tackle him. Zatt did the same, while Obi-wan walked slightly more sedately into the room.

Alpha pointed his finger at them only half jokingly.

“That’s it! No more Weird Force Kark for the next week at least! The next time I see weird lights it better be because the 501st is having a disco party again! And no more artifact rooms!” He barked.

Obi-wan blinked at him. He blinked again when Alpha hugged both Obi-wan and Cody, and Zatt by extension as he was still wrapped around Cody, hard enough to impair breathing. He let go quickly, but it was definitely a hug.

Obi-wan couldn’t help but smile. He put a hand on Alpha’s shoulder, and the other on Cody’s.

“I was worried about you as well,” he murmured.

“We need to talk,” Cody murmured back, “I think.”

Master Nu stepped into the middle of their little group and clapped her hands, once, sharply. They all jumped.

“I think that you need to talk as well,” she said severely, “Outside the artifact chamber.”

They took the hint, and headed toward the Negotiator’s Forward Officer’s Lounge. Some enterprising member of the 212th, or maybe one of the 501st, had hung a hand-made sign on the door reading “Crazy People’s Clubhouse.” Obi-wan resolved to check the cameras.

“What the kark, Kenobi,” Alpha said, poking Obi-wan in the chest, once they had reached the Lounge.

Obi-wan stared blankly back. He had no clue what Alpha was talking about.

“Why were you scared of Koon?” Alpha elaborated, “Do I need to do anything?” He gestured in a vague way that seemed to imply violence.

Oh. Alpha thought Plo had hurt him.

“No, Alpha,” Obi-wan said self-depreciatingly, “When we were younger, the Jedi Order had... how do I put this.”

He sat down and thought. It was important to say this right, to convey the truth without making anyone angry. Luckily, he was not termed the Negotiator for nothing.

Though he still hated that name.

“The past is another country,” he began, with an old phrase he’d read in the Archives, “They do things differently there.

“The Jedi Order, as a whole, was concerned about members Falling at that time. They always are, but there had been several incidents within the past decade.

“There was Galidraan, which resulted in several Dark and even Fallen Jedi, notably Kamari Vosa. Xanatos, about whom I have told you. Initiate Bruck Chun, who was Xanatos’s apprentice. Some others, which I have only heard rumors of. We did not speak of these things.”

“Which probably did not help, when someone was struggling,” cut in Anakin.

“No, probably not. However, many Jedi believed there to be a common thread to this unheard of amount of Dark Side Jedi in only one decade. And it was unheard of. The last record of Dark Jedi per decade that Master Nu found comparable was during the Mandalorian Wars.”

“What’s a normal number?” Cody asked curiously.

“Between one and three,” Ahsoka answered, “And that period had at least six. It’s thought that Master Dooku Fell during that time as well, though he did not show it until later.”

She received some odd looks.

“I had a history project,” she shrugged.

Obi-wan nodded and continued.

...

Ahsoka curled into her Master’s side as she listened to her Grandmaster lay out the background to their apprenticeship and couldn’t help but be glad that she hadn’t been in the Temple then. It sounded... cold, not like the warmth and light she was used to.

Her Grandmaster continued speaking, measuredly and calmly, like he was at a negotiation.

“We suspect now that these Falls were influenced and enabled by Sidius, Palaptine, to maneuver the Republic to his whims. Like Dooku, if on a smaller scale,” Master Kenobi said.

“But back then, we did not know anything about the Sith. We thought they were extinct. So we did not blame the Sith for the Falls.”

“What did you blame?” Rex asked suspiciously.

Anakin gave a self-deprecatory smile.

“We blamed attachment. I go so many lectures as a Padawan on the evils of attachment... It really started to alienate me from the Order,” he said.

Master Obi-wan nodded and took over again.

“There was some substance to that claim, that attachment was the cause of the Falls,” he said, “Xanatos Fell when he chose his corrupt father over the Order, and allied with him against the Republic and his Jedi Master. Komari Vosa Fell over her unrequited romantic love for her Jedi Master, Dooku.”

Ahsoka felt her nose wrinkle in disgust. Falling in love with Skyguy would be wrong on so many levels.

“She fell in love with her Buir,” Alpha said flatly, Cody looking a bit green next to him. Obi-wan nodded.

“I think it’s safe to say she had other problems,” Alpha concluded. Cody shuddered.

Rex had latched on to a different part of that statement.

“Wait, Dooku? Again? Really?” He said, in a tone of long suffering disbelief.

“Definitely other problems,” Alpha nodded.

“Bruck Chun is believed to have Fallen due to his conflicting attachments to his family, which happened to be from the same planet as Xanatos, and to the Order,” Master Obi-wan picked up again. He smiled sardonically, and kind of sadly.

“See the theme? By the time Anakin was apprenticed, most Jedi went out of the way to avoid even the appearance of attachment, especially in front of Council Masters. No one wanted to be seen as potentially Dark. And both myself and Anakin knew we were already suspected of attachment, due to our backgrounds. Both of us knew that if we were considered too attached to each other, nothing good would happen.” Master Obi-wan finished.

“I was a slave kid from Tatooine, who knew the love of his Mom,” Anakin picked up, “And Obi-wan had left the Order once already, and was the Padawan of a known Maverick Jedi.”

Anakin paused, as if remembering something.

“Master,” He said warily, “Did Qui-gon really ask you to train me right as he died?”

Obi-wan nodded, grimacing. He poked Zatt on the nose, gently.

“You, little one, are going to become a terrifying investigative Jedi one day. You make me spill all my secrets, like Mollywobbles with a can of paint,” he said fondly.

Mollywobbles was an unfortunately named Clone who had balance issues and brothers with a dubious sense of humor. His own sense of humor was just as dubious; he mentioned squadmates with names like Fiddlesticks, Oopsy-Daisy, and Jeepers-Creepers.

“Quit avoiding the question, Kenobi,” Cody said. He already knew, Ahsoka could tell, but apparently thought that Master Obi-wan should say it anyway.

“Yes, Anakin,” her Grandmaster sighed, gently hugging Zatt, “He did. You were very important to him.”

Unsaid was the idea that Master Obi-wan had been placed second best by his Master again.

Alpha looked like he dearly wanted to break Qui-gon Jinn’s nose. Ahsoka sympathized. She, Cody, and Rex, by the looks on the other two Clones’ faces, would probably help, if they ever got the opportunity. Anakin just reached over and gave his Master a hug.

“Thank you for taking me on, Master,” he said, “I could have had no better teacher. And no, you will not convince me otherwise,” he added, when Master Obi-wan opened his mouth to try and refute the statement, probably.

He was a bit too humble like that. He couldn’t seem to see how both Zatt and even Anakin sometimes looked at him like he hung the stars. She hid a smile, and almost didn’t notice the considering look Cody gave Alpha.

...

Zatt was hugging his Master while his Master tried not to let on that Anakin’s declaration gave him the warm fuzzies. He was failing badly, but he was trying. Zatt almost didn’t notice Cody speaking quietly to Alpha.

“You tried to send me away,” his younger uncle said, faintly accusingly. Alpha shrugged.

“I knew I wasn’t able to give you a good childhood, food, affection, security,” Alpha replied, “Even then. I used to be so jealous of Fett, because he could give his kid the galaxy and I couldn’t even give you a hug when the trainers were around.”

Zatt looked up at his Master, slid off the couch, and padded over to Alpha to give him a hug. Alpha needed lots of hugs, so long as he could see you coming.

Zatt had been given a talk very early on in his apprenticeship about startling people. The gist of the entire talk on startling people could be boiled down to one word: don’t.

Cody, it appeared, had beat him to it; his younger uncle was hugging Alpha tightly. Zatt shrugged and hugged them both. Two for the price of one!

“It’s not your fault, Alpha. I love you, anyway,” Cody said quietly. Alpha hugged him back.

“But I’d still change it if I could. All the Alphas would, that’s part of being an Alpha,” Alpha replied.

Cody shrugged and gently let go of the hug, still keeping one arm over Alpha’s shoulders. Zatt had ended up sandwiched between them. He wasn’t complaining. He took his job as resident hugger-of-Clones-and-Jedi very seriously. Cal and Caleb considered him their best student in the How-to-Padawan Classes.

Anakin had looked over to Rex, who had picked up the holo he had loved so much when he was three. It had been left on the table in the Officer’s Lounge, as all the Clones liked to look at it.

“Why were you so enamored with that thing?” Anakin asked, somewhat idly.

“I was one of the first blond hair-color mutations,” Rex replied, steadily, “And the Kaminoans hated that. They’d had the occasional vod with lighter hair than the norm, even a couple redheads, but I stood out even more than those. Fett interfered on our behalf, something about hair color not affecting performance, or we’d have been decommissioned. The Kaminoans still hated me, though, because I was imperfect. I was put in a squad with other mutations, but they kept us separate during the day. Didn’t want to see too many failures in one room, I guess. So I was lonely.”

Ahsoka put her arm over his shoulder. He continued, after leaning in to her.

“The picture was of a blond Clone, who was happy, and surrounded by his family. He was wanted and loved, and I was so amazed that that was possible. And then I learned the Clone was me,” Rex grinned, “And his family was my family, and I was loved and wanted.”

“It was going to turn out alright,” Alpha murmured. Rex nodded at him.

“Exactly,” he replied.

“And you all were here, and you all loved and wanted me, but, well, who doesn’t want to know how awesome you’ll be when you grow up?” He said, a bit self-consciously.

“Quite awesome indeed. Awesomer than any mythical Mandalorian warrior,” Ahsoka said, mock-seriously. Rex scuffed his knuckles on the top of her head, in the middle of her lekku. She batted at him, laughing.

“I certainly enjoyed the holoprojector in my room, at 21,” his Master admitted with a small smile, “Though I was quite disgruntled at you ended up taller than me, Anakin.”

“That’s because you’re the fourth-shortest person in the lineage, Master,” Anakin deadpanned.

Master blinked at him.

“Third-shortest, I am taller than both Zatt and Ahsoka,” he objected.

“Zatt and Ahsoka don’t count, they aren’t done growing yet,” Anakin waved his mechanical hand dismissively, “I was talking about Alpha, Cody, and Rex.”

“Are you saying I’m short?” Rex puffed up, offended.

“Nah,” Anakin said, unable to keep the smile out of his voice, “I’m saying you’re not tall.”

“How dare you say I’m not tall!” Rex staggered dramatically. Zatt couldn’t help a snigger. Rex smiled at him, and that’s when Anakin tried to tickle his ribs with the Force. It kind of devolved from there.

“So uncivilized,” his Master muttered, smiling.

...

Rex ducked away from Anakin, laughing. The older man, undeterred, tried to poke him under the armpit, one of the few places that Rex’s armor didn’t cover. Rex ruffled his hair, receiving a cry of indignation in return.

They went on like that for a while, until Cody grabbed Rex by the back of his armor, and Obi-wan took hold of Anakin with the Force. Anakin pouted. Rex maturely stuck his tongue out at him.

“Children, children, please! You’re setting a bad example for the Padawans!” Kenobi said, jokingly. The Padawans didn’t look too scandalized, Rex thought, but kept it to himself.

“What changed in Temple life, to make you less... reserved?” He heard Cody ask. He settled in to listen to the Jedi’s answer.

“Well, what changed for the Clones?” Kenobi replied, lightly.

“We got off Kamino and could show affection to whoever we karking well liked, so long as they didn’t mind,” Alpha said.

Kenobi smiled, and exchanged a look with Anakin.

“Well, for us, it was a bunch of friends of ours who got off Kamino and started to show affection to whoever they karking well liked,” Anakin said, in a bad imitation of Alpha. Zatt giggled.

Rex just stared at him. So did Cody. Rex recovered first, though.

“You’re saying that we changed that?” He said, amazed. Anakin nodded.

“Jedi started to spend a lot of time away from the Temple, away from people who would look at them askance if they hugged someone over the age of nine. Instead, they spent it with people who fully understood lack of affection and hated the concept,” Kenobi picked up, “And, well, we could see each other, that we weren’t going dark.

“We saw each other more often. Before the War, most Jedi only saw the Council once every two or three months. During the war, strategy meetings and front assignments kept most Jedi seeing the Council every other week. And we started reaching out to each other, because friends help you survive and deal with trauma.”

He smiled sardonically.

“If only it hadn’t taken a war,” he muttered.

Anakin patted his shoulder.

“So you have a bunch of Jedi whose mandate is to care for all beings, especially those in need of help,” Anakin summarized, “And a bunch of Clones whose training is to care for the Jedi, who are also in need of help by the Jedi’s definition. Throw them in a Venator, shake well with blaster fire, and a group of at least slightly attached people come out the other side.”

Kenobi facepalmed.

“It is a good thing, Anakin, that I am assigned with you for negotiations,” he said, “If we just let you loose, there’d be another war by now.”

“Hey! What’s wrong with my negotiating?” Anakin cried.

“You do it with a lightsaber.” Kenobi returned.

“Yes. Aggressive negotiations,” Anakin nodded, “I’ve been bantha-bulling my way through the Alderaanian China shop of life for a while now, why learn something new?”

“To give your old Master fewer heart attacks?” Kenobi suggested, stroking his beard.

Rex shook his head. How these two survived before the Clones came around to watch their backs, he’d never know.

Good thing he and his brothers were here now. Good thing they’d never leave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reader Poll: I’ve been thinking about characterization recently, and how mine matches up against other fanfic author’s and actual canon. Would any of you like meta of the Arcadia universe? I was thinking just some notes, my reasons for giving specific characters specific traits, and some worldbuilding stuff I’ve hashed out but haven’t quite included.
> 
> 1\. The name I use for the small rounded shoulder plate in regular Clone Trooper armor. In Medieval armor, such a piece would probably be called a pauldron, but pauldron is used to denote the elongated, angular, dark-colored shoulder plate Officers wear in-universe (see Rex’s left shoulder). Spaulder is the predecessor to a pauldron, so I appropriated it.

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. Mandalorian: I know your name as my brother. A modification of the adoption vow.  
> Anakin’s desire to be the smaller one in a hug is somewhat based on my own; I miss being smaller than my mom, and being able to sit on her lap.


End file.
